Nurture Farm
August 4, 2008
Hello!!!... To All Of You Fine People Of BYC

First let me say that I am so impressed with this forum. Just reading all the questions and answers has helped me with incubating and making my chicks arrival on this earth as stress free as possible. This group is so generous with there knowledge and time. I also find you to be incredibly patient with the newbies. What a gift I have found.... when I came across the BYC Bunch.
May 31, 2009
Last week I was processing a few Cornish X and came across something unusual. I had nowhere to turn to on the outside. I don't know anyone personally that I can call on when I have a question about chickens.
So...of course... different reasons kept flowing through my mind...It's sick and the whole flock could be sick or getting sick, What has caused this...on and on and on until I brought them inside, cleaned them up and put them in the refrigerator.
I logged onto BYC and first looked in the search. There was no answer for my problem. So, I posted my question and within minutes someone answered my question.
How Wonderful Is That!!!!! I was so relieved...
Some day soon...when I can...I will be paying this forward...
What I get out of this site is so valuable to me and the health of my flock!!!!
You All Are The Best!!!!

June 11,2009
Around 2 years ago I decided it was time to get off the merry go round and put both feet on the ground. That is when my journey into Homesteading began...
Sold the car we owed on (that left us with one car)....Purchased a wood burning stove to heat our home on cold days...Stopped the frivolous spending on "stuff".
Ordered My first batch of mixed breed fertile eggs on eBay (I figured I had to start somewhere..and I didn't want to invest too much money into my first try). I followed the advice on the temp and humidity that the incubator should stay at and turned them faithfully. At 18 days I turned the automatic turner off and upped the humidity. Low and behold they started to pip. 7 of the 14 hatched...What a thrill...

JUNE 30,2009
On the 18 of June I was at the Cleveland clinic because my Mom was having surgery. I came home that evening about 7pm.
My husband informed me that there was a dog after the chickens today. He was in the back tilling the garden and did not hear the chaos when it first started. He assured me all was well with the flock.
I walked around the flock and found that one of the young Roo's had every one of his tail feathers plucked...and then some. I call him Rumpy. He looks like a ball with a neck and head attached.
My first Hen was in the barn a bit lethargic. After examining her I could see that see had been scalped on her back. Skin and feathers detached from meat, bone and tendons. I scooped her up and brought her in the medic room (sun room).
With the help of my assistant (husband) I cleaned the area with normal saline patted and put some triple antibiotic all over the opened areas.
As for Rumpy...I treated him outside. The same as the first ...only I used Blu-Kote on his rump and sent him out to observe.
The reason I knew something happened to him is because many of the flock was picking at his rump. Once I treated him with the Blu-Kote he once again became part of the flock and still is. Cool!!!
If I didn't read so many of the post from others that had similar problems on BYC...I would have culled the hen...Only because I would have never thought I could have saved her from her attack...How Cool Is That!!!!